Oncolytic Viruses to Treat Ovarian Cancer Patients – a Review of Results From Clinical Trials

Abstract

Oncolytic viruses are replication competent “live” viruses. They infect tumor cells, replicate highly selective inside and thereby destroy them. Because of the enormous advances in the field of genetic engineering and biotechnology during the last decade, virotherapy is increasingly used within clinical trials and proved to be safe and effective. In particular, treatment of ovarian cancer patients is one main focus of research. On the one hand, this is due to the poor prognosis of this dismal entity, resulting in the urgent need for novel therapeutics. On the other hand, as ovarian cancer typically spreads within the peritoneal cavity, intraperitoneal administration of oncolytic viruses is feasible. This paper provides an overview of promising results from clinical trials to treat ovarian cancer patients with oncolytic viruses.

Zusammenfassung

Onkolytische Viren sind replikationsfähige „lebende“ Viren. Sie infizieren hochselektiv Tumorzellen, vermehren sich in diesen und zerstören sie dabei. Aufgrund der enormen Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Gen- und Biotechnologie kommt die Virotherapie zunehmend in klinischen Studien zum Einsatz und erweist sich als äußerst sicher, nebenwirkungsarm und effektiv. Insbesondere findet sich bei der Behandlung von Ovarialkarzinompatientinnen ein wichtiger Forschungsschwerpunkt. Zum einen liegt dies an der schlechten Prognose der Erkrankung und der hieraus resultierenden Notwendigkeit neuer Therapiemodalitäten. Zum anderen breitet sich das Ovarialkarzinom typischerweise lokoregionär aus, woraus sich die spezielle Möglichkeit der intraperitonealen Applikation onkolytischer Viren ergibt. Die vorliegende Arbeit fasst die vielversprechenden Ergebnisse klinischer Studien zur Behandlung von Ovarialkarzinompatientinnen mit onkolytischen Viren zuammen.

Key words

ovarian cancer - breast - biomarker - cell culture

Schlüsselwörter

Biomarker - Mammakarzinom - Ovarmalignom - Zellkultur

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